Saturday, June 30, 2012

Whenever you come to Oviedo, in North Spain,
you will be delighted by its classical culture, gastronomy and beauty, and also
by the very important pre-romanesque complex that was built here as capital
stop for the pilgrims on their Way to Saint James, a most important pilgrimage
for Catholics during centuries in Europe.And you will also be visiting the Cathedral of
the Holy Saviour, in which the most
important relic is the HOLY SRHOUD OF OVIEDO: a piece of cloth measuring approximately 84 x 53 cm. There
is no image on this cloth. Only stains are visible to the naked eye, although
more is visible under the microscope. The remarkable thing about this cloth is
that both tradition and scientific studies claim that the cloth was used to
cover and clean the face of Jesus after the crucifixion.

Such a cloth is known to have existed from the
gospel of John, chapter 20, verses 6 and 7. "Simon Peter, following him,
also came up, went into the tomb, saw the linen cloth lying on the ground, and
also the cloth that had been over his head…" John clearly differentiates
between this smaller face cloth, the sudarium, and the larger linen that had
wrapped the body.

The history of the sudarium is well documented,
and much more straightforward than that of the Shroud. Most of the information
comes from the twelfth century bishop of Oviedo, Pelagius (or Pelayo), whose
historical works are the Book of the Testaments of Oviedo, and the Chronicon
Regum Legionensium.

According to this history, the sudarium was in
Palestine until shortly before the year 614, when Jerusalem was conquered by the
king of Persia. It was taken first to Alexandria, then across the north of
Africa. The sudarium entered Spain at Cartagena to Sevilla, and some years
later Saint Isidore took it to
Toledo. It stayed in Toledo until the year 718. It was then taken further north
to avoid destruction at the hands of the Muslims, who conquered the majority of
the Iberian peninsula at the beginning of the eighth century. In Oviedo King
Alfonso II had a special chapel built for the chest, called the "Cámara
Santa", (Holy Chamber) later incorporated into the cathedral.

The key date in the history of the sudarium is
the 14th March 1075, when the chest was officially opened in the presence of
King Alfonso VI, his sister Doña Urraca, and Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better
known as El Cid. A list was made of the relics that were in the chest, and
which included the sudarium. In the year 1113, the chest was covered with
silver plating, on which there is an inscription inviting all Christians to
venerate this relic which contains the holy blood. The sudarium has been kept
in the cathedral at Oviedo ever since.

ANALYSIS:

The stains on the sudarium show that when the
cloth was placed on the dead man's face, it was folded over, although not in
the middle. Counting both sides of the cloth, there is therefore a fourfold
stain in a logical order of decreasing intensity.

From the composition of the main stains, it is
evident that the man whose face the sudarium covered died in an upright
position. The stains consist of one part blood and six parts fluid from a
pleural oedema. This liquid collects in the lungs when a crucified person dies
of asphyxiation, and if the body subsequently suffers jolting movements, can
come out through the nostrils. These are in fact the main stains visible on the
sudarium.

The cloth was not wrapped entirely round the
head because the right cheek was almost touching the right shoulder. This
suggests that the sudarium was put into place while the body was still on the
cross. The second stain was made about an hour later, when the body was taken
down. The third stain was made when the body was lifted from the ground about
forty five minutes later. The body was lying at the foot of the cross for about
forty-five minutes before being buried. The marks (not fingerprints) of the
fingers that held the cloth to the nose are also visible.

The experiments with the model head and the
study of the stains also show that when the man died his head was tilted
seventy degrees forward and twenty degrees to the right. This position further
suggests that the man whose face the sudarium covered died crucified.

There are smaller bloodstains at the side of
the main group. It would appear that the sudarium was pinned to the back of the
dead man's head, and that these spots of blood were from small sharp objects,
which would logically be the thorns that caused this type of injury all over
Jesus' head.

The medical studies are not the only ones that
have been carried out on the sudarium. Dr. Max Frei analysed pollen samples
taken from the cloth, and found species typical of Oviedo, Toledo, North Africa
and Jerusalem. This confirms the historical route described earlier. There was
nothing relating the cloth to Constantinople, France, Italy or any other
country in Europe.

If you wish, you can watch this Spanish
multimedia presentation about :

An international congress was held in Oviedo in
1994, where various papers were presented about the sudarium. Dr. Frei's work
with pollen was confirmed, and enlarged on. Residues of what is most probably
myrrh and aloe have also been discovered, mentioned directly in the gospel of
john, 19:39-40, "Nicodemus came as well...and he brought a mixture of
myrrh and aloes...They took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with
the spices, following the Jewish burial custom."

The stains were also studied from the point of
view of anthropology. The conclusion was that the face that had been in contact
with the sudarium had typically Jewish features, a prominent nose and
pronounced cheekbones.

All the studies carried out so far point in one
direction, with nothing to suggest the contrary the sudarium was used to cover
the head of the dead body of Jesus of Nazareth from when he was taken down from
the cross until he was buried.

THE SHROUD OF TURIN

The sudarium alone has revealed sufficient
information to suggest that it was in contact with the face of Jesus after the
crucifixion. However, the really fascinating evidence comes to light when this
cloth is compared to the Shroud of Turin.

The studies on the sudarium and the comparison
of this cloth with the Shroud are just one of the many branches of science
which point to both having covered the dead body of Jesus. The history of the
Oviedo cloth is well documented, and the conclusions of this for the dating of
the Shroud need no further comment.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Lying among
mountains and gardens in the middle of the Basque Country, we find the humble
Holy House surrounded by the Sanctuary of Loyola.

The Shrine
and Basilica of Loyola is a monumental and religious complex built around this
birthplace of Ignatius of
Loyola, founder of
the Society of
Jesus, known as theJesuits.

In 1491, a
family of minor nobility welcomed its 13th child, who would one day change the
world. Ignatius of Loyola, whose real name wasIñigo
López de Loyola, was the son of the Lord of Loyola, Beltrán Ibáñez de Oñazand Marina Sánchez de Licona, member of an important family.

San
Ignatius, turned from Lopéz de Loyola, a soldier, into to the priesthood by his
visions. He was living in around the Court, as described by himself, in
dissipation and laxity when he was called to the war. While in the battle
against the French around Pamplona, a cannon ball broke his leg. He was taken
to Loyola, where his leg had to be rebroken and reset.

During the
following period he read the lives of Christ and the Saints, and he was
radically transformed. Then all of a sudden, he became conscious that the knight
dreams were to make him dry and dissatisfied, while the ideas of the saints braced
and strengthened him with joy and peace. Next it dawned on him that the former
ideas were of the world, the latter God-sent; finally, worldly thoughts
began to lose their hold, while heavenly ones grew clearer and dearer. One
night as he lay awake, pondering these new lights, "he saw clearly",
so says his autobiography, "the image of Our Lady with the Holy Child
Jesus” at whose sight for a notable time he felt a reassuring sweetness, which
eventually left him with such a loathing of his past sins. His conversion was now
complete. Everyone noticed that he would speak of nothing but spiritual things.

He founded
the Brotherhood of Jesus, or Jesuit order, whose radical interpretation of Catholicism
left its mark on both the New and Old World.

The Society
of Jesus became a powerful institution that was very influential in the Catholic Church. Ignatius,
its founder, was named a saint and his birthplace became a place of worship.

In the
seventeenth century the house where he was born was given to the jesuits, they
built there, near the birthplace of its founder, a religious complex, of which
the highlight is its basilica.

A place of
pilgrimage and wonder for the devout and secular alike, San Ignatius' former
home has been transformed with Chirriguerresque flair into a grand compound.

In addition
to the basilica and shrine, there is an art museum displaying some of his
belongings and writings, as well as religious objects collected over the
centuries. We will present you some other information in coming entrances.

In the year
2011, more than 3.000 young catholics meet in Loyola, in the “Magis 2011”,
preparing themselves for the “World Youth Day”.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Zaragoza,
(Saragossa), founded by Caesar Augustus, was a capital city of the Roman Empire
in the territory of Hispania, roman name of Spain. St. James the Apostle came
to teach the Good News to the country, around 40 years after Christ. And he
came to Zaragoza. It is here, where the first Shrine to Our Lady has been ever
built.

This is the only apparition of Our Lady we have heard
of taking place prior to her Assumption. The year when this apparition occurred
was c. 40 or 41 AD.

For
twelve years before Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven the people of Spain were
venerating Our Lady as Our Lady of the Pillar.

According to Sr. Mary Agreda, Our Lady was 55 years of
age and living in Ephesus when this happened and she was 67 years when she was
Assumed into Heaven, as it is told in The City of God.

This is how it happened:

While Our Lady was living in Ephesus, before her
Assumption, Jesus appeared to her and asked her to go with the angels to see
St. James who was in Zaragoza at the time. She was to tell James that Jesus
wished him to return to Jerusalem to be martyred.

St. James
the Apostle was sitting here on the bank of the Ebro River, discouraged and
heartsick at his lack of success in bringing Christianity to the region. The
Virgin Mary appeared to him. She was atop a pillar of jasper carried by the
angels and she was holding a small wooden statue of herself.

Our Lady gave the message to St. James. She reassured him that his efforts
would not be in vain and asked him to consecrate a church in her name on the site where the apparition took place. She gave the pillar and image to James requesting that they were to be
used on the altar, to mark the spot where she had made her appearance.

Saint James
built a small chapel for her, which later was replaced with the Basilica on the
same spot. As Mary promised, St. James was indeed successful in bringing
Christianity to Spain, and the place of his encounter with the Virgin became a
holy place.

Mass began to be celebrated at the
little church and people began to venerate Our Lady through the image left
there by her and the angels. The little church, built 2000 years ago is
still the same. Only they soon began building a larger church over it to
accommodate the thousands that grew into millions of pilgrims that journey
there each year. It is an awesome sight to behold, and it does take your
breath away.

The
pillar that had been fashioned by the Angels is still there and has been
venerated and kissed by the faithful for almost 2000 years. When you
visit the Chapel of our lady of Pilar, you will see the tiny image resting on
the Pillar brought over by Mother Mary and the Angels. And if you go to
the back of the Chapel as our Blessed Pope John Paul II did, you too can kiss
the Pillar. Many other holy men and women came too... we will
tell you more soon.

Think about it! The people of Spain
were venerating the Mother of God under the title of Our Lady of the Pilar for
at least 12 years before She was Assumed into Heaven. And it happened in
Zaragoza, at the Basilica of Our Lady or the Pillar.

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“Dear Incantato, As you know, I’ve had the pleasure of being on five of your tours. Just when I think you can’t possibly top the previous tour, you do. Your attention to detail is remarkable. From departure to return everything is superbly planned – air and ground transportation, top-notch accommodations, food and most importantly, premier performance venues. You definitely deliver on your “boutique” commitment. As an educator, the most important aspect of an international tour is that my students return having had a life-changing experience. This has been the outcome every time I’ve been with your company. Equally important to me is that my guests also have an experience of a lifetime. Not only do you deliver on your commitment to making their experience extra special, you take extra care in understanding their individual needs. My guests rang my phone off the hook when we returned from Eastern Europe last year (yes, they still use phones!). To your potential clients who might read this, I want them to know that if they’ve ever considered taking an instrumental ensemble on an international tour, they’d be missing out on a fabulous opportunity if they didn’t contact Incantato to discuss the possibilities. My last two tours with Incantato included a choir and jazz ensemble. The sacred performance venues for the choir were everything history books have written about. The jazz venues were outstanding – some of the premier jazz clubs in Europe! The level of performance that my students rose to was off the charts – additional validation of my commitment to education and proof that an experience like this is a major game changer to every student musician. This combination tour was in many ways better than just a choir tour or just a jazz tour. It offered a lot of variety to display the diversity of our music department and provided the students a unique peer-to-peer support system, by being both performers and audience members. You did it again!!!”Richard Burchard, Composer (Gentry Music, Pavane Publishing, National Music Publishers, Hinshaw Music) and Educator (Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY)

“The trip was everything I hoped for and more. Everything promised was delivered. I realize that this tour gave you a number of challenges due to the low number of participants, but you always seemed to find a way to make things happen. I appreciate the positive ‘Can Do’ attitude. You showed what a tour company can do when it really cares about the quality of the performing venues and comfort and satisfaction of its clients.”Bruce Koliha, BelCanto Choir, Performance Tour to Central Europe 2010

“Our tour with Incatanto was unforgettable. They were able to not only secure for us the most popular and magnificent venues but also the hidden gems and special places only a company with passion and dedication can find. My Women’s Ensemble and Handbells (and even the parents) are still talking about the trip and all the wonderful memories. It has invigorated my program and I am deeply proud to have done business with Sandra and the entire team at Incantato.”Brian Dehn, Cornelia Connelly, Performance Tour to England and Ireland 2010

“Once again, thanks to you and all the Incantato team for the great tour you arranged for CIC this summer. I truly feel that Incantato delivered a lot for our money on this trip. All of the hotels were nice ones with good locations. What a great idea to give us a night in Vienna near the Prater! And the concert venues were varied and all beautiful. The dinner cruise on our last night was magical and we enjoyed the food, the company, and the views. Thanks for making this a part of our tour. You are so skillful in finding the unique, off the beaten path, towns and villages. These are some of the best memories.”Sue Klausmeyer, Carolina International Chorale, Performance Tour to Central Europe Summer 2010

"Dear Incantato-Team, the Choir of the Sound and I want to thank you for all you did to make our tour to Northern Italy so incredible. I’ve worked with many other tour companies, but this trip exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. The singers will remember their time in Italy the rest of their lives. To have had the opportunity to perform in those amazing cathedrals with large appreciative audiences was truly memorable. In reflecting on our trip this year, I realized that past tours that I had considered successful fell short when compared to the trip that you put together for us. Incantato provided a consistently high level of organization and personal attention both during the planning stages and on the trip. Other exceptional aspects of the tour were:- The right amount and high quality of the performances. Our concerts and masses were wonderful.- Outstanding tour managers that were a wonderful combination of knowledgeable, flexible, personable and fun!- Beautiful posters and flyers as well as superb advertising of the concerts that resulted in large audiences- Excellent pacing of the tour—thanks for anticipating when we would need some time to recover- The included activities were interesting and created a change of pace for the singers- Great meals, consistently. My vegetarians were very pleased also.- The choir manager and I are very appreciative of your personal attention to our questions during the planning stages of the trip.- Terrific bus drivers who made us feel safe and who enjoyed the groupIt was a pleasure to work with everyone at your organization and I would be happy to share my experience with Incantato with other potential clients."Judy Filibeck, Director "Choir of the Sound", Seattle, WA

"Having recently returned from a successful tour of Ireland, I can say without a doubt that this was my finest tour experience. I have used several different tours companies in my years of performance tours, and none have matched the attention to detail, the thoughtful planning, excellent venues & marketing, meal & hotels, and overall management by Incantato Tours. Their pricing was excellent, and when the US currency dropped, they did not raise any of our cost. I would recommend this company to anyone planning a tour, whether they are a large professional ensemble, or a small church choir."Nathan J. Kreitzer - Director of Choral Activities Santa Barbara City College, CA

"It was a true pleasure working with Sandra and Incantato on our Italy Tour 2008. She is very detail oriented and surpassed many of our expectations. I would recommend Incantato to anyone planning a concert or performance tour."Rick Christophersen, Director Conservatory of Music at Chapman University, Orange, CA

“My sincerest and deepest thanks to you and all your staff for making this tour for the Quire of Voyces our very best yet! Your attention to every detail, special offerings each day, fine accommodations and outstanding tour guides all made for a very gratifying experience for all of us.”Susan Kuehn, Quire of Voyces Performance Tour to Italy, June 2010"I have only wonderful things to say about Incantato Tours! The UGA Chamber Choir traveled to Italy in 2009. From the marvelous concert venues to the excellently managed tour, this was really a dream trip. The highly professional and expert Incantato tour manager who was with us throughout the entire trip, the fantastic bus drivers, and the knowledgeable city tour guides all helped to make the tour run exceptionally smoothly. Probably most important was that this entire trip was really a specialty tour designed especially for this particular choral group. Incantato Tours made it possible for us to sing in some very remarkable places, including the Sistine Chapel. Planning a tour takes incredible dedication and Incantato Tours would definitely be my choice again!"Dr. Martha Thomas, UGA School of Music, Athens, GA

“We had the wonderful opportunity to go to Spain, sing in great venues, experience an amazing culture, and eat great food. There is always a special element of magic that happens with Incantato Tours.”Andrew Crane, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities, California State University, San Bernardino;Performance Tour to Spain, June 2010“Incantato Tours has created the most musically satisfying tour we have ever taken. For the singers touring is about the music in the wonderful cathedrals and the exchanges with the local kids. A toast to Incantato for fulfilling your dream, and for making so many people so happy - now and in the future.”Arlene Jacobs, SCS Touring Choir, Akron, OH

"There are at least four essential ingredients for a successful and rewarding concert tour for young people and their sponsors —appropriate concert settings, advance publicity, opportunities for learning about the areas visited (including exchanges with the local youth), and good logistical planning. The recent tour of the Akron, Ohio Summit Children's Touring Choir through Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria was successful indeed. The venues were most impressive and beautiful. The publicity produced large responsive and appreciative crowds as well as mayor’s receptions with recital opportunities at city halls. The knowledgeable tour guides and the visits with local youth and choirs provided an experience for the choir members that will not be soon forgotten. The schedule for travel, meals, concerts and touring were planed and flexible enough to accommodate for unexpected delays without loss of any scheduled tour, exchange or concert. Finally, a "shadow tour" of parents and sponsors was also a success and allowed those who wished to do so to attend every reception, recital and concert while being guided on a separate tour, well planned and executed. As one who worked with Sandra Weinacht and her staff at Incantato I can assure you it would not have been such a success without their planning and execution of our tour. They are to be commended and I would highly recommend Incantato Tours to anyone considering a group tour, especially a performance tour.C.A. Ridge Jr., A Summit Choral Society Sponsor

“Incantato Tours impresses me because their clients come first. Their advantage lies in the selection of venues, impressive itineraries and the ability to tend to details.”Dr. Gary L. Unruh, Professor Emeritus, CSU Fresno

“I can't speak highly enough about Incantato Tours. They were with us every step of the way, tailoring a tour that was perfect for our wants, needs and budget. I would recommend Incantato to anyone serious about a choir tour, especially if you want a tour that provides wonderful indelible memories of the best that a tour can be.”Stan DeWitt, Minister of Music, Grace First Presbyterian Church, Long Beach, CA;Performance Tour to Ireland, April 2010

"Of the eight international tours I've taken as both singer and conductor, last summer's CSULB tour to Naples, Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast with Incantato was the best organized and the most fun. Our tour manager and guides were professional, wonderful teachers, and our venues were beautiful. We saw stunning posters for our events everywhere we walked. The marketing for our concerts was incredible! Our audiences were huge and exuberant, and Incantato made all the pieces fell into place beautifully. Thank you Incantato Tours for the personal attention, for the flexibility that allowed us to choose exactly where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. We're already planning for 2010."Dr. Jonathan Talberg - Director of Choral, Vocal, and Opera Studies, Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, California State University, Long Beach

"Canticum Novum, The tour choir of Central Church in Phoenix just completed its most successful tour in 35 years of concertizing abroad, solely due to the excellent management of Incantato. Their attention to every detail, response to every request, superb International Staff, and excellence in concert management are singularly distinctive. Theirs is a professional concert management group who are also excellent providers of travel services. That is a distinctive difference. Travel agents are for travel; Incantato provides concert management in stunning venues, and the organizational minutia supporting these artistic events in addition to fine-tuned travel experiences filled with special amenities. If music making in superb acoustical spaces to wonderfully receptive audiences is your priority, Incantato is the professional tour group for your ensemble."Donald. E. Morse, Central United Methodist Church, Phoenix, AZ

"The San Marino Chamber Singers have been very fortunate to travel several times already with the director of Incantato Tours, Ms. Sandra Weinacht. She was our personal tour and concert manager when we traveled to Italy in 2005 and then designed, organized and oversaw our tour to Central Europe in 2007. It was another huge success. Aside from selecting and working with prime venues only, Ms. Weinacht's staff also put in great time and effort in promoting our concerts through beautiful designed and professionally printed concert posters and cards. Incantato's marketing of our performances became highly visible to the public and contributed to the success of every concert. I have been more than impressed with their professionalism and highly recommend Incantato Tours to everyone. They definitely cater to each choir member's personal needs and watch every detail. The hotels were carefully selected, the meals were beyond our expectation. If there were ever any problems, they were dealt with beautifully and professionally on the spot. We were very impressed with how well the whole tour was executed. The next time we go back to Europe, it will be with Incantato Tours."Howard Cheung, San Marino Chamber Choir, CA

"Well, you did it. I don't know how, but you did it! You accepted the challenge, and performed a small miracle. My hat is off to you and Ted for creating what is, for me, the most musically satisfying tour we have taken. All of the kids who have been on the three tours (Italy, China, and Europe) agreed, hands down, that this was the best ever. For them it's about the music in the wonderful cathedrals and the exchanges with the local kids. In festival-type situations they are not really "up close and personal" with other kids - they're mostly rehearsing. At any rate, a toast to Incantato, to you and Ted for fulfilling your dream, and for making so many people so happy - now and in the future. Thank you!"Arlene Jacobs, Artistic Director, Summit Children’s Touring Choir and Co-Founder of the Summit Choral Society (SCS)

"Incantato stresses the small town experience as well as the traditional larger cities, but it wasn't until I looked out on the valley and town of Salice Terme spread out below us as we enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked Italian meal that I truly understood or appreciated that element. At that moment, "Italy" became much more than a series of famous cities to check off my list; it became a real world, a place of rolling hills as well as marble cathedrals, time-honored traditions and modern technology. A true mix of culture and heritage unknown and unappreciated by those in the United States --- until you arrive! The experience we had of singing in the Sistine Chapel is absolutely indescribable, yet I must try. It's been almost three months since the last note of Gregorio Allegri's Miserere echoed off Botticelli's walls and Michelangelo's awesome ceiling, but to the choir it is still as vivid a memory as if we sang there last night. I can't thank Sandra and the Incantato Team enough for arranging such a poignant moment"David Okun, student at UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Athens, GA